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Protect Forests, Say no to Biomass

05/19/2017

Local organizations like Physicians for Social Responsibility and 350PDX are working tirelessly with City and County leadership who support a rapid, just transition to 100% renewable energy. While they have been on a trajectory to secure the best policy in the nation, pressure from industry could cripple the integrity of the resolution.

It's very important that we share a common understanding of what is and what is not "renewable energy." forest

The City of Portland has submitted its draft of a new 100% Renewable Energy Plan. While it has been on a trajectory to become the best policy in the nation, as it is currently written it includes biomass a potential source of "renewable" energy, opening a door to massive logging projects in Mt. Hood National Forest to produce biomass for power plants.

Keep the calls coming in! Ask that the City Council amend the resolution before the hearing and vote on June 1st!

Wood burning is the largest source of biomass energy and emits as much or more pollution than burning fossil fuels, including coal. The assertion that biomass is carbon neutral because trees will “grow back” is inherently incompatible with a rapid and just transition. This assertion neglects to acknowledge the decades or centuries it takes for forest ecology to regain full function. The City must actively safe-guard living, carbon-storing forest ecosystems now, in our Renewable Energy Resolution. We need a renewable energy solution that does not shift the burden onto our forests by replacing fossil fuels with biomass!

The vote is next Thursday. Act now to keep forests off the chopping block!

I support your efforts to create a “rapid, just transition” away from fossil fuels and towards a healthy climate. I urge you to consider the fate of Mt. Hood National Forest as you craft the Resolution. The path you put this city on today will have far-reaching impacts on the future of our region.

I am concerned that allowance for biomass energy will increase logging in Mt. Hood National Forest. Public lands like Mt. Hood National Forest can be part of the climate solution, but only if these ecosystems remain intact. Portland needs a plan to reach 100% Renewable Energy that does not shift the burden onto our forests by replacing fosil fuels with biomass. Logging public lands to produce biomass is not a long-term solution, but in fact will degrade water quality and climate stability throughout the region. A truly ambitious plan would aim to protect the forest from commercial extraction and safe-guard the ecosystems that regluate our regional climate and provide clean drinking water for our communities.

You may not know that Mt. Hood National Forest ranks 6th in the nation for carbon storage, an enormous asset in fighting global climate change. Opening the door to biomass will jeopardize this capacity.

I am counting on Commissioner ---------- to protect our public lands, and exclude all biomass energy sources in Portland’s 100% Renewable Energy Plan.

2) Show Up: The public hearing for the 100% Renewable Energy Resolution is on June 1st from 2pm-4pm at City Hall (1221 SW 4th Ave. Portland, OR 97204).

For the forest,

Courtney Rae, Bark Community Organizer

Courtney Rae, for Bark

Fossil Fuels: Not renewable

Nuclear Power: Not renewable

There are moves afoot in the state legislature (SB 990) to rewrite Oregon law to allow new nuclear power facilities in Oregon, and to allow storage of nuclear waste generated at those sites. Even with "re-processing" or so-called "recycling," nuclear waste will be radioactive and dangerous for tens of thousands of years.

Biomass: Not renewable

We must not include biomass in definition of renewables. Inclusion will be used to incentivize and benefit industrial deforestation, which threatens our climate and waters. Do we want new clearcuts on the Mt. Hood National Forest called "renewable" biomass projects?

Incineration of medical and municipal waste: Not renewable

We must explicitly exclude from definition of renewables the incineration of municipal and medical waste. There are active efforts to increase the capacity of Covanta, a large incinerator in Marion County, and to ship Multnomah County waste there to be burned.

Waste incinerators undermine efforts to fight climate change. According to the US EPA, incineration produces more CO2 per megawatt hour than any other form of power generation, including coal. Incineration emits nearly 25% more CO2 per unit of electricity than coal (WTE: 2988 lbs/MWh Co2 compared with coal: 2249 lbs/MWh CO2.